Runway beauty often leans theatrical. But sift through the spectacle and you’ll find the ideas actually worth stealing. From tin-man lips to a frost-bitten flush of blush, these are the autumn/winter 2026 trends we’re actually willing to try this year
Eight weeks per year, our editors are glued to their phones and laptops following the most minute details coming out of fashion month. From New York to Paris, like fashion-savvy oracles, the runways set the tone for what's to come. And yes, the fashion takes centre stage (we can't get Haider Ackermann's Tom Ford or JW Anderson's Dior off of our sartorial hive mind), but for our beauty desk the hair and makeup deserve equal applause.
This season, senior beauty editor Josefin Forsberg has kept a keen eye on the catwalk, collating the trends to tap for the autumn/winter 2026 season. From tin-man lips to punchy eyeshadow pigments and the full spectrum of eyebrow shapes, these are the looks we actually plan to leverage in our beauty routines.
Erdem autumn/winter '26. Photo: Go Runway
Mame Kurogouchi autumn/winter '26. Photo: Go Runway
Michael Kors autumn/winter' 26. Photo: Courtesy of Michael Kors
Button-nose blush
The past year has seen a bevy of blush trends cross our social feeds: boyfriend blush, sunburn blush, Bridgerton blush... the list runs long. For autumn, however, we're facing a frostier flush. Namely, the button-nose blush. Centralised on the very centre of your snout, the pale pink pigment emulates the Rudolph-inspired red nose you get when stepping out into the cold. Sans irritating sniffles, of course.
Simone Rocha autumn/winter '26. Photo: Go Runway
Richard Quinn autumn/winter '26. Photo: Go Runway
Anna Sui autumn/winter '26. Photo: Acielle / Style Du Monde
Altuzarra autumn/winter '26. Photo: Go Runway
Polar-opposite hair aesthetics
This season we experienced aesthetic whiplash. Yes, there was the great fashion battle of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy minimalism and Wuthering Heights' overzealous romanticism. But, more importantly, the runway saw a divisive split.
In one corner, reigning champion of the past couple of seasons: slicked-back polish (with the recent entry of the French twist). In the other: the tousled mess of 2016 Tumblr past. Amy Winehouse, is that you?